Transportation Secretary Elaine ChaoElaine ChaoWarren claps back at DeVos following resignation announcement: ‘Good riddance’ Betsy DeVos resigns as Education Secretary Trump condemns riots, says he will focus on transition in taped remarks MORE will resign in protest after a violent mob overran the Capitol after being incited by President TrumpDonald TrumpCapitol Police officer dies following riots Donor who gave millions to Hawley urges Senate to censure him for ‘irresponsible’ behavior Kellyanne Conway condemns violence, supports Trump in statement on Capitol riots MORE, a source with knowledge of her decision said Thursday.

Chao would become the first Cabinet official, and the highest-ranking member of the administration, to resign in the wake of Trump’s incendiary rally and its violent aftermath on Wednesday.

“Yesterday, our country experienced a traumatic and entirely avoidable event as supporters of the President stormed the Capitol building following a rally he addressed,” Chao wrote in a letter to Transportation Department staff, obtained by The Hill. “As I’m sure is the case with many of you, it has deeply troubled me in a way that I simply cannot set aside.”

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Her exit is a sharp rebuke of a president who has alienated even some of his closest supporters with his increasingly unhinged rhetoric. Chao has served as Transportation secretary since Trump’s inauguration. She served as Labor secretary for eight years under President George W. Bush.

Chao is married to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellMcConnell ousts Senate sergeant-at-arms after Capitol riots Capitol Police rejected offer for help from National Guard days before deadly riot: report Shellshocked GOP ponders future with Trump MORE (R-Ky.), who spent much of Wednesday locked in an undisclosed and secure location under armed guard as Trump-backing rioters marauded through the Capitol.

In her letter to employees, Chao said she would resign effective Monday. She said her team would continue assisting President-elect Joe BidenJoe BidenCapitol Police officer dies following riots Rep. Joaquin Castro wants to prevent Federal government from ever naming buildings, property after Trump Tucker Carlson: Trump ‘recklessly encouraged’ Capitol rioters MORE’s Transportation secretary-designate, former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete ButtigiegPete ButtigiegTransportation Secretary Chao resigns in protest Buttigieg is blazing trails for LGBTQ equality 2020: A year in photos MORE, with the transition.

Chao’s exit will absolve her of uncomfortable questions over whether she would join any effort to remove President Trump from office two weeks before his term expires by invoking the 25th Amendment, which allows the majority of the Cabinet to replace a president with the vice president.

Her departure will anger those who wanted the Cabinet to take the historic step of replacing Trump with Vice President Pence. But Chao’s resignation is not effective until Monday, which could give Cabinet members time to organize their vote.

Merrick GarlandMerrick Brian GarlandGarland vows to fight ‘violent extremism’ as attorney general Biden says there was double standard in treatment of Capitol mob, BLM protesters AFL-CIO head says Walsh will be ‘exceptional’ Labor secretary MORE, President-elect Joe BidenJoe BidenCapitol Police officer dies following riots Rep. Joaquin Castro wants to prevent Federal government from ever naming buildings, property after Trump Tucker Carlson: Trump ‘recklessly encouraged’ Capitol rioters MORE‘s pick for attorney general, pledged to fight violent U.S. extremism on Thursday, the day after a violent mob of Trump supporters overran the Capitol.

Garland, a federal appeals court judge whom former President Obama had tried to install on the Supreme Court, made his first address since Biden announced his selection on Wednesday shortly before the riot on Capitol Hill.

He spoke of the Justice Department’s creation in 1870 during Reconstruction, as the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacists sought to undermine through terrorism the rights of newly freed slaves.

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“These principles ensuring the rule of law and making the promise of equal justice under law real are the great principles under which the Department of Justice was founded and for which it must always stand,” Garland said at an event in Wilmington, Del., alongside Biden. “They echo today in the priorities that lie before us, from ensuring racial equity in our justice system to meeting the evolving threat of violent extremism. If confirmed, those are the principles to which I will be devoted as attorney general.”

Biden and other Democratic leaders have expressed outrage following the storming of the Capitol, which left four people dead, including one who was fatally shot by police. Biden joined criticism of the law enforcement response to the riot on Wednesday, which failed to keep the mob out of the Capitol as Congress was preparing to certify his Electoral College victory.

“No one can tell me that if it had been a group of Black Lives Matter protesting yesterday — they would have been treated very, very differently than the mob of thugs that stormed the Capitol,” Biden said as he was introducing Garland. “We all know that’s true. And it’s unacceptable. Totally unacceptable.”

Biden said he chose Garland in an effort “to fully restore trust in the rule of law and equal justice under the law” following President TrumpDonald TrumpCapitol Police officer dies following riots Donor who gave millions to Hawley urges Senate to censure him for ‘irresponsible’ behavior Kellyanne Conway condemns violence, supports Trump in statement on Capitol riots MORE‘s tenure, and he believes there will not be a repeat of the judge’s failed Supreme Court nomination process. In 2016, Senate Republicans refused even to consider confirming Garland during Obama’s last year in office.

“I fully expect from the discussions I’ve had that he will receive a fair hearing and a swift confirmation,” Biden said.

The U.S. Capitol Police turned down offers for support from the National Guard and the FBI to help manage what ended up becoming a massive Capitol security breach carried out by a mob of pro-Trump supporters.

Capitol Police were contacted by the Pentagon three days before the planned event to see if they needed assistance from the National Guard, The Associated Press reports. Then as the rioters fell upon the Capitol, leaders from the Justice Department reached out to see if they needed assistance from FBI agents. Sources close to matter told the AP that both offers were turned down.

Despite ordering more personnel to be present in preparation for the event, Capitol Police still found themselves overwhelmed when rioters began breaking into the Capitol, smashing windows and vandalizing offices.

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Multiple lawmakers expressed shock and outrage at the apparent failure in security that occurred Wednesday.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellMcConnell ousts Senate sergeant-at-arms after Capitol riots Capitol Police rejected offer for help from National Guard days before deadly riot: report Shellshocked GOP ponders future with Trump MORE (R-Ky.) said Thursday that a “painstaking investigation” would commence into Capitol security protocols. 

The chief of Capitol Police, Steven Sund, resigned on Thursday, hours after the House sergeant-at-arms, Paul Irving, tendered his resignation. 

Civil rights groups and activists have criticized the police for an apparent double standard that was used when dealing with the predominantly white pro-Trump rioters.

Newly-elected Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) said Wednesday evening that she believed the response would have been drastically different had the rioters been “Black and brown.”

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“Had it been people who look like me, had it been the same amount of people, but had they been Black and brown, we wouldn’t have made it up those steps,” said the congresswoman, calling the rioters’ actions a form of “white privilege.”

President-elect Joe BidenJoe BidenCapitol Police officer dies following riots Rep. Joaquin Castro wants to prevent Federal government from ever naming buildings, property after Trump Tucker Carlson: Trump ‘recklessly encouraged’ Capitol rioters MORE and Vice President-elect Kamala HarrisKamala HarrisCapitol Police rejected offer for help from National Guard days before deadly riot: report Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity congratulates member Raphael Warnock on victory in Georgia Pence’s adult daughter congratulates President-elect Biden MORE also pointed out the double standard in an address Thursday.

“The challenge we are facing in our country is about more than the actions of the few we watched yesterday,” Harris said. “It’s about how to reform, how to transform a justice system that does not work equally for all. A justice system that is experienced differently depending on whether you are white or Black.

“We witnessed two systems of justice when we saw one that let extremists storm the United States Capitol and another that released tear gas on peaceful protesters last summer,” she continued. “The American people have expressed, rightly, outrage. We know this is unacceptable.” 

Critics have pointed out that the National Guard was deployed against Black Lives Matter protesters last summer in order to clear the area for President TrumpDonald TrumpCapitol Police officer dies following riots Donor who gave millions to Hawley urges Senate to censure him for ‘irresponsible’ behavior Kellyanne Conway condemns violence, supports Trump in statement on Capitol riots MORE to take a photo in front of St. John’s Church.

Sen. Lindsey GrahamLindsey Olin GrahamMcConnell ousts Senate sergeant-at-arms after Capitol riots Capitol Police rejected offer for help from National Guard days before deadly riot: report Limbaugh dismisses calls to end violence after mob hits Capitol MORE (R-S.C.) condemned the security forces on Thursday, saying he was “embarrassed” and “disgusted” that the breach happened.

“They could have blown the building up. They could have killed us all. They could’ve destroyed the government,” Graham said to reporters. “Lethal force should have been used. … We dodged a major bullet. If this is not a wake up call, I don’t know what is.”

FBI Director Christopher Wray vowed Thursday to “hold accountable those who participated in yesterday’s siege of the Capitol” after a pro-Trump mob overtook the building, forcing evacuations.

“The violence and destruction of property at the U.S. Capitol building yesterday showed a blatant and appalling disregard for our institutions of government and the orderly administration of the democratic process,” Wray said in a statement.

“As we’ve said consistently, we do not tolerate violent agitators and extremists who use the guise of First Amendment-protected activity to incite violence and wreak havoc,” he continued. “Such behavior betrays the values of our democracy. Make no mistake: With our partners, we will hold accountable those who participated in yesterday’s siege of the Capitol.”

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Wray announced that the bureau “has deployed our full investigative resources” and is working with law enforcement partners “to aggressively pursue those involved in criminal activity” on Wednesday. 

“Our agents and analysts have been hard at work through the night gathering evidence, sharing intelligence, and working with federal prosecutors to bring charges,” he said.

He requested the public send in any information about Wednesday’s events to the FBI, noting “We are determined to find those responsible and ensure justice is served.”

The tip website says the FBI is looking for “information that will assist in identifying individuals who are actively instigating violence in Washington, DC.” 

The FBI’s investigation follows a chaotic and violent day on Capitol Hill, in which four people died — including one woman who was shot by a plainclothes Capitol Police officer — amid rioting at the Capitol complex. That shooting is under investigation.

The swarm of rioters temporarily halted the certification of President-elect Joe BidenJoe BidenCapitol Police officer dies following riots Rep. Joaquin Castro wants to prevent Federal government from ever naming buildings, property after Trump Tucker Carlson: Trump ‘recklessly encouraged’ Capitol rioters MORE’s electoral win. 

D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department has identified dozens of people of interest, accusing them of “unlawful entry” into the Capitol.

MPD said at least 52 people were arrested and at least six guns were recovered. Police also said that two pipe bombs were recovered near the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee headquarters. Police also found a cooler with Molotov cocktails in a vehicle that had a long gun in it on the Capitol grounds, the chief said.

Experts at the World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday approved delaying the times between doses of Pfizer and BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine.

The organization’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on immunization published guidance stating that the interval between doses “may be extended up to 42 days (6 weeks), on the basis of currently available clinical trial data” The Associated Press reported.

The organization said it will consider revising the recommendation as more data becomes available about longer intervals between doses.

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The recommendation comes as a number of countries have considered delaying the second dose as they face supply constraints with the vaccine.

Pfizer’s vaccine is given in two doses, 21 days apart while Moderna’s two doses are spread by 28 days.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a statement on Monday advising against altering coronavirus doses or intervals.

“At this time, suggesting changes to the FDA-authorized dosing or schedules of these vaccines is premature and not rooted solidly in the available evidence,” FDA Commissioner Stephen HahnStephen HahnFDA: It would be ‘premature’ to change the way COVID-19 vaccines are administered FDA investigating allergic reactions to Pfizer vaccine reported in multiple states The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Mastercard – COVID-19 relief, omnibus talks go down to the wire MORE and Peter Marks, director of the Centers for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in a statement.

“Without appropriate data supporting such changes in vaccine administration, we run a significant risk of placing public health at risk, undermining the historic vaccination efforts to protect the population from COVID-19.”

Of nearly 2 million people who were vaccinated against COVID-19 during a 10-day period in December, only 21 people experienced severe allergic reactions, officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Wednesday. 

Most of those people had a history of allergies or allergic reactions, and for the 20 people the CDC followed up with, all had recovered and been sent home. 

Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, stressed allergic reactions are an “exceedingly rare” occurrence.

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“Of course, we all would hope that any vaccine would have zero adverse events, but even at 11 cases per million doses administered, it’s a very safe vaccine,” she said. 

The risks of becoming seriously ill from COVID-19 are much higher, Messonnier said, with more than 2,000 people dying per day.

“The risk from COVID and poor outcomes from COVID is still more than the risk of a severe outcome from the vaccine,” she said.

A report published Wednesday by the CDC found 21 allergic reactions among 1.9 million people who were vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine between Dec. 14 and 23.

An additional eight reports of severe allergic reactions were reported after that time period and weren’t included in the report. More reports will be released in the future.

The Pfizer vaccine was the only one being administered to the public during that time period, but because of its similarity to the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, the CDC recommends that patients with histories of immediate and severe allergic reactions to vaccines or anaphylaxis be monitored for 30 minutes after injections.

People with histories of allergic reactions to food, insect stings, vaccines or a history of anaphylaxis should consult with their doctors before being vaccinated, Messonnier said. 

The woman who was fatally shot by Capitol Police during Wednesday’s mob attack on the Capitol was an Air Force veteran who served for 12 years, according to service records provided to The Hill on Thursday.

Ashli Babbitt, 35, of San Diego, was jumping through a window into the Capitol with pro-Trump rioters when she was shot. She died later Wednesday and was one of four fatalities from the violent events that prompted evacuations and dozens of arrests.

Babbitt began active duty in the Air Force in 2004, eventually reaching the rank of senior airman in a military career that also included service in the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard, according to her service records.

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She remained on active duty, serving as a security forces controller, until 2008, when she served in the Air Force Reserve until 2010. Babbitt then entered the Air National Guard. She was discharged in November 2016.

Babbitt’s ex-husband Timothy McEntee told The Washington Post that she served in Afghanistan and Iraq in active duty, along with deployments to Kuwait and Qatar with the Air National Guard.

The Air Force did not have Babbitt’s deployment data readily available on Thursday.

Videos and other posts on Babbitt’s Twitter account show her steadfast support for President TrumpDonald TrumpCapitol Police officer dies following riots Donor who gave millions to Hawley urges Senate to censure him for ‘irresponsible’ behavior Kellyanne Conway condemns violence, supports Trump in statement on Capitol riots MORE and indicate she was a follower of the QAnon conspiracy theory.

Her Twitter feed also includes photos of her attending pro-Trump rallies and self-recorded videos about immigration policy and support for a border wall.

She echoed many of Trump’s conspiracy theories and false claims of widespread voter fraud.

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Babbitt was shot by an unidentified plain clothes police officer while part of a group forcing its way toward the House chamber where lawmakers had not yet been evacuated on Wednesday afternoon, according to U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) Chief Steven Sund.

“As protesters were forcing their way toward the House Chamber where Members of Congress were sheltering in place, a sworn USCP employee discharged their service weapon, striking an adult female,” Sund said in a statement.

He added that Babbitt “immediately” received medical assistance and was transported to the hospital after being shot.

The Capitol Police officer who shot Babbitt has been placed on administrative leave until the outcome of a joint Metropolitan Police Department and USCP investigation, per the USCP’s policy.

Three other individuals died the same day of “separate medical emergencies” near the Capitol grounds, police said.

Rioters stormed the Capitol shortly after a pro-Trump rally outside the White House, forcing lawmakers, reporters and others to flee for safety in secure areas for several hours before law enforcement was able to secure the building.

Lawmakers have since called for an investigation into why the Capitol Police failed to hold back the violent rioters.

IT’S WEDNESDAY. Welcome to Overnight Energy, The Hill’s roundup of the latest energy and environment news. Please send tips and comments to Rebecca Beitsch at rbeitsch@thehill.com. Follow her on Twitter: @rebeccabeitsch. Reach Rachel Frazin at rfrazin@thehill.com or follow her on Twitter: @RachelFrazin.

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CAPITOL IN CHAOS: A chaotic and violent scene unfolded at the Capitol on Wednesday as supporters of President TrumpDonald TrumpTrump acknowledges end of presidency after Congress certifies Biden win Congress affirms Biden win after rioters terrorize Capitol Third House lawmaker tests positive for COVID-19 this week MORE swarmed the building to protest the Electoral College vote, forcing a lockdown and various confrontations with police.

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The House and Senate were less than an hour into debating the first GOP objection to a state that Biden won — Arizona — when they were forced to abruptly recess as mostly maskless rioters crowded into the hallways around each chamber.

Read more on the evacuation here and follow our live updates here. 

ANWR SALE GETS COLD SHOULDER FROM OIL COMPANIES: The Trump administration auctioned off oil and gas rights in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) for the first time ever Wednesday, selling off 1.6 million acres along the coast to primarily one major buyer: the state of Alaska. 

The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) won nearly every bid, a sign that oil companies were largely uninterested in developing the pristine wildlife refuge as many major banks have refused to provide financial backing and public support for the projects has diminished.

The sale raised just $14.4 million dollars, roughly $27 per acre. That figure is far below the billion dollars the 2017 bill projected the government would earn alongside a second sale. Only half the acres up for sale received bids, which were submitted by only three companies. 

The sale, just two weeks before President-elect Joe BidenJoe BidenTrump acknowledges end of presidency after Congress certifies Biden win Congress affirms Biden win after rioters terrorize Capitol Here’s how newspaper front pages across the world looked after mobs stormed the Capitol MORE is sworn in, shows the Trump administration’s determination to kickoff oil drilling in the Arctic before leaving office. Passed as part of the 2017 tax bill, the law requires the sale by the end of 2021.

Environmentalists and Democrats have long opposed drilling in the refuge, saying it will blemish untouched wilderness, harm wildlife and exacerbate the climate crisis to extract a resource the U.S. should diminish its reliance on.   

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“Trump is giving away treasured land in the Arctic Refuge at rock bottom prices in today’s oil/gas lease sale,” Rep. Jared HuffmanJared William HuffmanOVERNIGHT ENERGY: Capitol in Chaos | Trump’s Arctic refuge drilling sale earns just fraction of GOP prediction | EPA finds fuel efficiency dropped, pollution spiked for 2019 vehicles Trump’s sale of Arctic refuge drilling rights earns just a fraction of GOP prediction Dem lawmaker says he owes hammers apology after calling DeVos ‘dumb as a bag of hammers’ MORE (D-Calif.) said on Twitter, calling the sale a human right violation for the Gwich’in tribe that considers the area sacred. 

Huffman’s bill to block drilling in ANWR passed the House but was never taken up in the GOP-led Senate.

The AIDEA largely serves as Alaska’s economic development wing and is not itself an oil company. It will need to resell the leases to those that can drill — a move that raises a number of legal questions.

Two other companies purchased one tract of land each.

“To my knowledge this has never happened before, that a state bids on federal leases within their own state,” Jenny Rowland-Shea, a senior public lands policy analyst at the Center for American Progress told The Hill.

“It’s very odd because the state of Alaska will get 50 percent of the revenue from lease sales. Basically they will be paying to not make any money on those lease sales.”

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which conducted the lease sale, praised the success of the historic sale and defended the state’s ability to purchase the bulk of the leases through AIDEA.

“It doesn’t present legal issues from our perspective,” Kevin Pendergast, BLM’s deputy state director for Alaska said on a call with reporters, describing it as an “evolution” of BLM’s earlier work with the state.

“It’s a new perspective, a new element to the process of working within the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority. It’s a corporate entity, and in that sense they’re able to take actions like this, and it meets our regulatory requirements.”

Read more on the sale here.

MILEAGE DOWN, POLLUTION UP: Automakers’ fuel efficiency went down and vehicle pollution went up for the first time in five years in 2019, according to a report released Wednesday by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The report, which analyzed data for model year 2019 vehicles, found fuel economy dropped by 0.2 percent in the U.S. when automakers were instead expected to increase their fuel efficiency by 5 percent. Carbon pollution went up 3 grams per mile.

For the Trump administration, the report was a rebuke of the Obama-era fuel efficiency standards they drastically weakened.

“This report shows in detail how few auto manufactures were able to meet the unrealistic emissions standards set by the Obama administration without resorting to purchasing emission credits,” EPA Administrator Andrew WheelerAndrew WheelerOVERNIGHT ENERGY: Capitol in Chaos | Trump’s Arctic refuge drilling sale earns just fraction of GOP prediction | EPA finds fuel efficiency dropped, pollution spiked for 2019 vehicles EPA finds fuel efficiency dropped, pollution spiked for 2019 vehicles OVERNIGHT ENERGY: EPA finalizes ‘secret science’ rule, limiting use of public health research | Trump administration finalizes rollback of migratory bird protections | Kerry raises hopes for focus on climate security at NSC MORE said in a release. 

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“We have set realistic standards in 2020 that will reduce emissions as well as vehicle costs and maintain consumer choice going forward.”

The previous standards were considered one of the most significant climate fighting actions of the Obama presidency, asking automakers to make year-over-year improvements, producing fleets that could average 55 miles per gallon (mpg) by 2025.

Under the Trump administration rule finalized in March, automakers would need to reach 40 mpg by 2026, bringing mileage below what automakers have said is possible for them to achieve. 

“The automakers rolled back before Trump did,” Dan Becker, director at the Safe Climate Transport Campaign with the Center for Biological Diversity, said by email.

All fourteen large auto manufacturers met the 2018 mileage goals, but 11 only did so using various offsets not related to fuel economy, like using improved air conditioning refrigerant or by installing solar roof panels on their vehicles.

And three companies — Ford, GM and Mazda — delivered worse fleet-wide gas mileage and emissions than they did five years ago.

Read more on the report here. 

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GEORGIA’S ON HIS MIND: “I could not sleep last night. I was so excited. I woke up in bed this morning, the first words my wife said to me was ‘Good morning Mr. Chairman,’” Sen. Tom CarperThomas (Tom) Richard CarperOVERNIGHT ENERGY: Capitol in Chaos | Trump’s Arctic refuge drilling sale earns just fraction of GOP prediction | EPA finds fuel efficiency dropped, pollution spiked for 2019 vehicles EPA finalizes ‘secret science’ rule, limiting use of public health research White House appears to conclude review of EPA ‘secret science’ rule MORE (D-Del.) told reporters this morning.
With Democrats’ win in Georgia, Carper is set to become chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee, adding that even with tight margins there’s “a hunger for rebuilding our wastewater, clean drinking water infrastructure.”

WHAT WE’RE READING:

Biden climate team says it underestimated Trump’s damage, E&E reports

Montana Grants Keystone XL Pipeline Water Crossing Permit With Conditions, Montana Public Radio reports

Early Biden Climate Test: Groups Demand Tougher Rules on Building, The New York Times reports

Happy Thursday and welcome back to On The Money. I’m Sylvan Lane, and here’s your nightly guide to everything affecting your bills, bank account and bottom line.

See something I missed? Let me know at slane@thehill.com or tweet me @SylvanLane. And if you like your newsletter, you can subscribe to it here: http://bit.ly/1NxxW2N.

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THE BIG DEAL—Weekly jobless claims dip slightly to 787,000: New weekly claims for unemployment insurance totaled 787,000 in the final week of 2020, moving little from the previous week but remaining well above the pre-pandemic record high, according to data released Thursday by the Labor Department.

• In the week ending Jan. 2, weekly jobless claims dropped by 3,000 from the previous week’s revised total of 790,000, which was initially reported at 787,000 claims. 
• Another 161,000 people applied for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, a program created to extend jobless benefits to gig workers, contractors and others who don’t qualify for traditional unemployment insurance.

The new batch of jobless claims is yet another warning that the initial recovery from the coronavirus recession has continued to slow under the weight of record-breaking COVID-19 deaths and months of squabbling over further economic relief. Weekly jobless claims since the end of last March have remained well above the 690,000 pre-coronavirus claims record set in 1982. I break it down here.  

LEADING THE DAY

TurboTax says it expects stimulus payments to be deposited in correct bank accounts after ‘IRS error’ Tax-prep software giant TurboTax is telling customers that some people may not have received their stimulus payment because of an “IRS error” but that they expect the issue to be corrected “within days.”

“The IRS recently began issuing a second round of stimulus payments to those eligible. Unfortunately, because of an IRS error, millions of payments were sent to the wrong accounts and some may not have received their stimulus payment,” TurboTax said in a blog post on its website Wednesday and in an email to customers.

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• The IRS has already sent out many of the payments electronically. 
• Still, millions of Americans have yet to receive their payments, and some of them have taken to Twitter to criticize the IRS and tax-prep services such as TurboTax and H&R Block.

The Hill’s Naomi Jagoda explains here.

Read more: Treasury starts sending 8 million stimulus payments by prepaid debit card

Treasury launches $25B coronavirus rental assistance program: The Treasury Department has launched a $25 billion rental assistance program with funds from the $900 billion coronavirus relief package enacted last week, the department announced Thursday.

State, territorial, tribal and local governments covering more than 200,000 people are now eligible to apply for aid allocated to help struggling Americans cover rent and prevent landlords from racking up debt from tenants.

• Evictions of most Americans have been banned by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) since September. That moratorium was extended by Congress and President TrumpDonald TrumpCapitol Police officer dies following riots Donor who gave millions to Hawley urges Senate to censure him for ‘irresponsible’ behavior Kellyanne Conway condemns violence, supports Trump in statement on Capitol riots MORE through the end of January.
• Housing experts, advocates and economists have called on the federal government to provide sufficient rental assistance to protect tens of millions of Americans from eviction when the CDC ban expires.

I break down how the program works here.

GOOD TO KNOW

• The stock market took gains Thursday in the wake of Congress affirming President-elect Joe BidenJoe BidenCapitol Police officer dies following riots Rep. Joaquin Castro wants to prevent Federal government from ever naming buildings, property after Trump Tucker Carlson: Trump ‘recklessly encouraged’ Capitol rioters MORE’s electoral victory. 
• Stores run by the Trump organization and Trump’s campaign were taken off Shopify on Thursday for violating the company’s policy of supporting people who condone violence.
• President-elect Joe Biden has tapped Isabel Guzman to lead the Small Business Administration (SBA), a transition source confirmed to The Hill.

– Saturday night’s Extreme Rising show from Philadelphia drew approximately 800-900 fans. Company officials were happy with the show and there is a feeling that the company has “stabilized” after a critically panned first show.

– The ring and other equipment from the CZW promotion were used this weekend. Several people from CZW were at the Philly show.

– The next Extreme Rising shows will take place in the weekend of September 21st with shows from Pittsburgh and Cleveland. There are tentative plans to return to the Northeast in November.

* Pictures of Ric Flair’s Wife’s 2 MUGSHOT Pictures

(Source: PWInsider)